to be led out of a lesser Bondage or Captivity into a greater and so that small distinct Number of the immaculate Lambs of Christ had been a more certain as well as a more delicious Morsell for that devouring Wolf of Rome Bath I understand perfectly whereabout Philotheus would be namely That Divine Providence made choice of such Instruments by an externall Instigation as who left to themselves in many things to cut out their own way would fall into such Opinions and Expressions as would be most effectual for the rending or tearing of huge massie pieces from the Church of Rome that in these great Lumps the Gold might be safe amongst the Dross and that in his mixt Numerosity there might be a more safe Protection of the Godly against the bloudy Persecutions and barbarous Tyrannies of the Papal Power Philoth. XXXIII The true means of unity in the Church again glanced at You understand me aright Bathynous But now I say after the Stone was thus cut off again from the great Mountain and safely disjoyned therefrom it was not still to have ly'n unpolished or Moss-begrown for want of Art or Industry in the Master-builders but all of us ought to have become by this time living stones pure and well-polished and through the Unity of the Spirit to have been joyn'd together into one holy Temple of God Which Unity of Spirit Bathynous can never be without Unity of Life For in the Life is the Spirit as I suggested before Nor can this Unity of Life ever be without a through Purification of the Church from Sin and Corruption nor can this Purification be without Faith in the Power of God and the Assistence of Iesus Christ to refine us from all our Dross For he that believes no possibility of any such thing will neither pray for it nor attempt it nor any way go about it Wherefore this general Indulgence to our Corruptions keeping us from the Unity of Spirit and sameness of Judgement in matters of Religion and making us destitute of that healing Vertue of brotherly Love and Charity we are left like so many wilde Beasts and grizly Monsters to grin and spit fire at one another but can never attain to Peace before we attain to a due measure of Righteousness For Christ in the Church must first be Melchizedek Hebr. 7.2 and introduce his Righteousness amongst us before he can be King of Salem in this sense Isa. 9.6 a Prince of Peace Nor can we have this Spirit of Righteousness communicated to us before we be embued with that Faith in the Power of Christ for the vanquishing of Sin as has been said over and over again Bath Wherefore Philotheus so far as I see this Faith in the Power of Christ for the vanquishing of Sin especially accompanied with Charity may stand in balance against the Romish implicit Faith that they would urge for the suppressing of Schism as if nothing would so well assure the Peace of the Church as for men to have either a perfect upright Conscience or else no Conscience at all But this latter being so hideously detestable we see the greater necessity of exhorting all men with all diligence to make after the former Philoth. Which without this Faith in the Power of Christ for the conquering our Corruptions they will never endeavour after much less successfully attain thereunto Bath So I have said already Philotheus I think or at least intended to say so Philoth. But being full of Faith XXXIV The marvellous Efficacy of Faith in the Power of the Spirit of Christ for the vanquishing of Sin and perfectly persuaded that Christ by his Spirit both can and will assist to the utter vanquishing of all manner of Sin and Corruption in us such I mean as Pride and Covetousness and Uncleanness and all Hypocrisie and Selfishness and the like what is there of all that that disturbs the World and distracts humane affairs that will not flie before so invincible a force If this Faith were once implanted in the hearts of men and they read in the Prophets the lively and lovely descriptions of that excellent state of the Church which is to come what quick approches were they able to make in virtue hereof while they look upon that glorious Pattern and through Faith and holy Imitation be daily changed by the Spirit of the Lord from glory to glory 2 Cor. 3.17 18. Philop. The more I consider it Philotheus the more I am satisfied of what infinite importance this Doctrine of Faith in the omnipotent Spirit of Christ is both for the present welfare of the Church and also for the bringing on that future Happiness predicted by the Prophets what searching Physick it is to cleanse the Soul and what a mighty Cordial to revive her So far as I see this kinde of Faith is the Primum mobile or the first Spring of all Motion that can tend effectually towards the Renovation of the World in Righteousness and the bringing on those glorious Times of the Church which you did so graphically describe out of the Visions of the Prophets Sophr. XXXV An Answer to an Objection touching this Doctrine of Faith And I can scarce forbear to cast in my suffrage too Philopolis were it not for this one Scruple That this so high Doctrine of Faith in the omnipotent Spirit for the utter Extirpation of Sin might as well scare people out of the Reformed Churches as have hindred them at first from coming in to the Reformation The truth of the Doctrine rightly understood I do not much question but onely the discretion of professing it Philoth. This is a material Consideration of yours O Sophron. But you are to understand that this Doctrine rightly interpreted does not at all clash with any of those due Comforts that accrue to us from that other of Justification by Faith and of free Remission of sin in the bloud of Christ. These things I write 1 Joh. 2â— 2. saith S t. Iohn that ye sin not But if any one sin we have an Advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous And he is a propitiation for our sins All that is aimed at is a chearfull and sincere endeavour of not sinning at all as we pray in our Liturgy every Morning Which constant endeavour if it be used no man ought to be dejected for his Failings till God give more strength but chearfully to rouse himself with a greater indignation and resolution against Sin not at all despairing of forgiveness having so potent an Advocate with him whom he has offended But if any one is content to sin without any endeavour of Resistence or belief of ever being able to overcome and subdue his Corruptions and would forsake the Communion of the Reformed Church for the rubbing up his Conscience with a more wholesome and searching Doctrine and so seek Teachers elsewhere after his own heart's lusts all that I can say is this 2 Thess. 2.11 12. That for
this cause God shall send him strong delusions that he shall believe a Lie that he may be damned for not believing the Truth but having pleasure in Vnrighteousness And I hope very few will venture upon those Pikes This Doctrine can hardly fright any away but such as have an explicite minde and purpose fully to plunge themselves into the filth of sin But what a vast company has broke from the Reformed Churches into private Sects upon pretence that their Doctrine tends not sufficiently to Perfection can be hid from no man's eyes that looks never so little into the World So far is this Doctrine from being against the Interest of Reformed Christendome To all which you may adde that it need not be imposed as an Article but allowed In the mean time that general Languour and Remissness in all Duties of Life or rather that universal Deluge of open Lewdness and wickedness which for ought I know has broken in upon us for want of such Doctrines as would more effectually engage us in all Holiness of Conversation is by far a more formidable Dis-interest to the Reformed Churches then the Profession or Permission of this Doctrine we speak of any way can be For Providence has no obligation to continue their Religion to those be it never so true who have no more Conscience then to hold the Truth of God in unrighteousness Sophr. Nay your Answer I must confess Philotheus is very home and pertinent Philop. And so think I too and am hitherto which I must acknowledge with many thanks to you Philotheus very competently satisfied and therefore am the more unwilling to urge you any farther in any more Particulars touching these Heads feeding my self with hopes of future Conference from your own comfortable Intimation But however I cannot but give you the trouble of passing to the last Point XXXVI Of the Duration of the glorious Times of the Church to gratifie my Curiosity touching the Duration and Permanency of this excellent state of the Church and of describing to me in what order and distinctness things will proceed to the end of all Philoth. This is an hard Probleme Philopolis as well as curious the second part especially For touching the Duration or Permanency of the Church in that glorious Condition the holy Oracles plainly intimate it will be for a thousand years Apoc. 20.3 though I do not think it necessarie to understand that expression as if it should continue no longer For the meaning of that number may be symbolicall But for the order and distinctness of the proceeding of Affairs to the end of the World this a man cannot well know unless he understood the Synchronalls to the seven Thunders into which the last Trumpet is so distinctly distributed Apoc. 10.3 Which I must confess Philopolis was ever out of my reach till I fortunately fell into acquaintance with one Theomanes a very good man XXXVII The Character of Theomanes and most passionate well-willer to the Affairs of the Kingdome of God Cuph. That 's a peculiar Privilege of yours Philotheus to be so intimately acquainted with Theomanes For my part I have often courted him with the best skill and diligence I could but could never yet get into any familiarity with him Sophr. And I think in my heart never will do so long as your name is Cuphophron Philop. I pray you Philotheus what is this Theomanes for a man and what did he impart to you touching the seven Thunders Philoth. I gave you part of his Character already And if you do not yet understand me Philopolis I adde farther That he is a man wholly devoted to the Knowledge of his Maker from his very youth and quitted the World almost as soon as he was born into it having never any design upon any thing that the World is so mad after neither Honour nor Power nor Riches nor carnal Pleasures but his mind has been wholly set to search out true Knowledge in the Light of the Simplicity of Life in which quitting all Self-relishes he became an entire Servant of God and of the Lord Iesus Christ and a faithfull Minister of his Kingdome Philop. You give the Character of an excellent person But what did he impart to you Philotheus Philoth. The Vision of the seven Thunders if I may so call it for brevity sake But his meaning is the Vision of things synchronall to the seven Thunders Philop. You will infinitely oblige me if you please to communicate them unto us O Philotheus But is he not a man something Enthusiasticall or Fanaticall Philoth. The greatest Fanaticism that I know in him is this That he professes he understands clearly the truth of severall Prophecies of the mainest concernment which yet many others pretend to be very obscure whether he will or no. But he is so far from being Enthusiasticall or Fanaticall that whereas Enthusiasm is a false Surmise of a man's self that he is inspired when indeed he is not he on the contrary does disclaim his being at any time inspired though a man would think sometimes that he is But he imputes all to the Light of the Simplicity of Life the greatest Gift of God that is communicable to the Soul Neither does he boast that this Vision of the seven Thunders is any over-bearing Inspiration though it was the most involuntary thing that ever happened to him perfectly awake Philop. I pray you therefore tell us in what Circumstances it happened to Theomanes For I believe he would conceal nothing from you by reason of your Intimacy with him Philoth. Time will not permit to make any long Story of it The Circumstances therefore in brief are these Upon a time after he had much worn away and exhausted his spirits by a long and serious study in the Divine Oracles he thinking to take a long and leisurely walk into the fields to recruit his Strength by the open fresh air and to let his Mind be perfectly vacant for the relief of his Body of a sudden in the midst of the fields this Vision of the seven Thunders surprised him without his desire or expectation which took fast hold on his Mind and Phancy insomuch that he could not be quiet for the working thereof though it made him so weak that he could scarce go on his legs till he had committed the same to writing Philop. This is something extraordinary Have you a Copy of it Philotheus For the Narration of such things ought to be very accurate Philoth. I have a Copy of it both in my Pocket and in my Memory it has left so strong an Impress upon my minde But I believe you will think it most safe if I reade the Copy for it is yet light enough and I brought it on purpose foreseeing the need thereof in this day's Discourse Philop. I pray you Philotheus reade it to us Cuph. There are ordinarily Politicall and Philosophicall Gazetts but it is our Privilege it seems to have a Propheticall one
Church of Christ upon Earth For these are the proper Ioys and Entertainments of those Souls who being dead to all Self-interests finde it the solace of their heart to behold the flourishing Interest and growing Prosperity of the People of God I must confess that the Authour of these Dialogues interprets Prophecies at an high rate of Confidence in the behalf of Reformed Christendome against their professed Adversaries Which may seem to some the more wild and Ecstaticall the Discourse having been drawn up in such Circumstance of Affairs as every one conceived to bode ill to the Reformed Party And how busie and successfull the Romanists have been this present Age in proselyting people to their Church there is none but must take notice of from either Experience or common Fame But this could not discourage the Authour from receiving those important Truths which were so clearly reflected to him from the pure and infallible Word of Prophecie Which he steddily fixing his eyes on did not at all regard the ill-boding aspect of the Affairs of the World For he that has not a due measure of Faith in God and Fortitude of Spirit can neither be Prophet More Nevoch part 2. cap. 38. as Maimonides well observes nor any good Interpreter of the Prophets I know the good news will not be alike acceptable to all nor alike credible but that very well-meaning people may be prone to imitate that of Abraham Gen. 17.18 O that Ishmael may live before thee desponding in a manner of all such attainments as they finde not a palpable Pledge of in the present Causality of things If Abraham be an hundred years old and Sarah ninety he that prophesies of an Isaak to be born will hardly escape being laugh'd at for his news by an over-aged Sarah Gen. 18.12 But most of all if he predict so sprightly and so illustrious an Issue to spring out from a Stock so dead and withered But they that receive the Message cannot forbear to doe the Errand they are sent upon whatever may be their Reception Ezek. 43 10. Thou son of man shew the House to the house of Israel that they may be ashamed of their iniquities and let them measure the Pattern To this end is the Glory and Perfection of the future state of the Church set out unto us that we may know what to be at and make as near and quick approches thereto as we can It is not therefore to reproch the present Condition of Reformed Christendome but to animate them and encourage them by these good Tidings to use such means and to countenance such ways as lead the most directly to that glorious state of the Church which both the Holy Oracles of God do so plainly set before our eyes and ourselves so expresly pray for in our publick Devotions It is no more a Reproach then to tell a young Childe that he is as yet but a Childe but that he will live to come to the stature of a lusty proper Man onely let him use a regular Diet and due Exercises of his growing strength which wil conduce thereto So harmless in the general and so usefull is the Design of these present Dialogues Nor can I divine what Particulars may any ways disgust any one that is Christianly affected unless the Behmenists Cartesians and Platonists may fansie themselves not so civilly dealt withall The first because their great Authour Jacob Behmen though acknowledged a pious and well-meaning Writer and not unusefull for the exciting of the Sentiments of sincere Piety in others is not allow'd to be such an inspired Man as that all that he dictates should go for infallible Oracles But it being so discernible to the intelligent that he is an Enthusiast there is no faithfull Minister of the Kingdome of God will ever stick to declare it for fear of that great Dis-interest that would be done to Religion if those that are the most zealous Well-willers thereto should not discover themselves to be of so sound a minde as not to be imposed upon by the highest Heats and strongest Surmises or Confidences of any man's Melancholy whenas the Prophaner wits are so prone to suspect that there is no Religion but is such The other two may haply be offended at the Writer of these Dialogues for introducing Cuphophron who sustains the person of both a Cartesian and Platonist at once so unsettled and fickle and unconcerned in the great Points of Christian Religion as if Cartesianism and Platonism did necessarily incline men to that unsound temper of minde Which I am confident is not the opinion of the Authour of the Dialogues But being aware how some Theorems in those Philosophies may easily fill up and swell those Souls that are more aiery-minded and how this Anticipatory Self-fulness join'd forsooth with the affectation of a strict Mathematicall Evidence for every thing such as Cartesius pretends to but falls infinitely short of almost every-where in his Philosophy he being aware I say that this may raise a Genius in this Philosophicall Age over-wanton and coy and such as will keep aloof off from being so heartily concerned in the Apostolick Truths of Christianity as they ought his foresightful Solicitude in the behalf of the Kingdome of God and for the preventing the growth or appearance of any such mischievous Monster stirred him up thus timely to set out the Contemptibleness and Ridiculousness of that Dispensation that it may never have the Confidence to appear upon the Stage to the destruction of Souls and detriment of the Church of Christ. So that how-ever harsh this may seem to some yet it is excellent preventive Physick and the sound and judicious must acknowledge the purpose of him that administers it to be sober and laudable Thus well fitted every way are these Dialogues to serve the Spiritual Interest of the Church of God And lastly for that Interest Reader which thou callest Politicall they have their Serviceableness in that regard also As to instance in some few Passages for many One of the Principles whereby Reformed Christendome is represented as reducible to this excellent State we speak of is a sincere and unspotted Loyalty in the Protestants to their Lawful Sovereigns Another the Countenancing or Allowing of that chearfull and effectual Doctrine for promoting a good Life I mean that of A Faith in the Power of the Spirit of Christ for a signal vanquishing and subduing all manner of Sin in us such as Pride Covetousness Revengefulness and the like For there is nothing that can tend more to the publick Peace then this The conscience of Religion in its crude and raw estate is a thing very harsh and bitter especially in an hot Complexion both to it self and others like the state of Dentition in Children which makes them wrangling and froward and vexatious both to themselves and the whole house And for want of this Doctrine I speak of few or none of the seriously-Religious can well emerge out of
Kingdome of God and the Kingdome of the Devil seem to be in utter opposition one to another and therefore in no capacity of being parts of the same Kingdome Bath That is wittily urged O Cuphophron as to the exteriour sound of the words but look into the intrinsecall nature of things and set the Beasts of the field and the Devils of Hell one by another and tell me the difference that uncapacitates the one from being the members of the Kingdome of God more then the other Is it because the Devils have more subtiltie then the Beasts of the field This were reprochfully to intimate the Kingdome of God to be a City of Fools Is it because the one is Spiritual the other Corporeal This reason would also exclude the good Angels the choicest part of God's Kingdome Is it because the Devils are lapsed Yet their Lapse is but into the Animal life whose deepest root and fountain is Self-love or Selfishness which stands in opposition to that other fountain or root of the Divine Life which is the pure Love of God or of that which is simply and absolutely Good But Self-love or Selfishness is equally the Root of Life in Brutes as in Devils Whence it seems manifest that in reality the Devils are as capable of being part of the Kingdome of God as the Brutes Cuph. The difference O Bathynous seems to be this That the Brutes retain the integrity of their nature but the Devils have degenerated from their first condition and forsook their station God had placed them in Bath I confess O Cuphophron that the Lapse of the fallen Angels is great but yet they never sunk beneath the utmost Circuit of the Dominion of Providence or that Divine Nemesis that is continuedly interwoven into all the degrees of the Creation So that nothing that is not exterminated out of all Being but necessarily is subject to the Laws of some order or other of the Creation it has cast it self into As if some noble Familie should by taking ill courses lose all that Honour and Riches that were left them by their Ancestours and in process of time become mere Gally-slaves they do not cease to be still Subjects of the Prince of that Countrey in which they experience these varieties of Fortune so the Angels degenerating into Devils do not cease to be under the Dominion of God but find their Nemesis in his Dominion Prov. 21.30 For there is neither strength nor counsell against the Almighty nor can any one out-wit the reaches of his Providence Gaolers and Prisoners and Hangmen and all manner of Executioners are as well Subjects of the Prince as those men of noble rank and quality Sophr. All instruments of the Wrath of God are part of his Dominion as well as those of his Love For as the Son of Sirach tells us Ecclesiastic 39.28 c. There be spirits that are created for vengeance which in their fury lay on sore strokes in the time of Destruction they pour out their force and appease the wrath of him that made them Fire and Hail and Famine and Death all these were created for vengeance Teeth of wild Beasts and Scorpions Serpents and the Sword punishing the wicked to destruction All these rejoyce in his commands and are ready upon earth to execute his will when need requires To this purpose he speaks and methinks plainly insinuates that the Infernal Powers themselves of which these are many times but the externall weapons are part of the Army of the Lord of Hosts Bath It is impossible to be otherwise O Sophron for it is repugnant to the Wisedome and Omnipotency of God to suffer any thing to be that is in no wise subject to his Power and Dominion Hyl. Gentlemen methinks you are too-too solicitous in searching and setting out the Extent or Boundaries of the Kingdome of God whenas it were a more curious Point and no less pertinent to the present Quere What the Kingdome of God is to define what species of Dominion or Power it is that he thus universally exercises over the Creation Cuph. It is not absolute and unlimited Sovereignty VII Of the absolute Sovereignty of God and wherein it is grounded Hylobares which we from the Greeks call Tyranny Sophr. No by no means Cuphophron If you understood what Tyranny is you would find your Assertion as contradictious as blasphemous Euist. Sophron saies very true Hylobares for * Lib. 3. cap. 7. Aristotle defines Tyranny 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and elsewhere in his Politicks describing it more copiously Politic. lib. 4. c. 10. he saies it is such a Government in one person as being unaccountable to any rules over his equals or those that are better then himself doing all things for his own Interest and not for the Interest of them that he rules Which things are utterly incompetible to God who is infinitely better then all the Creation and is onely capable of doing them good but not of receiving any good from them Cuph. I minded not how Tyranny is defined in your learned Authours Euistor but look'd upon the word as significative of such a Sovereignty as is absolute and unlimited and that in one person who is tied to no Law but acts merely according to the suggestions and sentiments of his own heart Euist. And to tell you the truth the Criticks O Cuphophron teach us that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 anciently signified no worse then so that is to say an absolute Monarch a person invested with absolute Sovereignty or Power Philoth. If Cuphophron meant no otherwise then so Euistor his meaning was sound and good though his expression not so warrantable For it is very unsafe and scandalous to apply ill-sounding words to the Divine Majesty though lined underneath with a tacit well-meaning But to say that that species of Dominion which God exercises over his Creatures is absolute Sovereignty or a power of doing all things according to the suggestions or sentiments of his own mind this is a sober and true declaration touching the Dominion of God Hyl. But I beseech you Philotheus wherein is this vast and unlimited Sovereignty of God founded in his Omnipotency or in what is it For some say absolute and irresistible Power can doe no wrong Philoth. That 's a thing Hylobares I could yet never understand that the most omnipotent Power that is imaginable can ever have a right to doe what is wrong that is to say to create any evil that is truly so upon the full compute of all circumstances or in the entire comprehension of the whole Oeconomy of the Universe No Power though never so omnipotent can claim a right to such an act no more then any Intellect never so omniscient can claim a right of authentickly thinking that true which is really false But in answer to your main question wherein the Right of this absolute Sovereignty in God is founded I must tell you both distinctly and compendiously at once
That is the great bar to the reception of Sacred Truths with such kind of men as Pride Covetousness and Hypocrisie with others Philop. What you say I believe is too true Bathynous the more the pitty But while we cannot change the minds of others let us at least improve our own as well as we can And from what we have proceeded in hitherto I am the more desirous to hear an answer to the last part of my present Quere Tell me therefore I beseech you O Philotheus Where the Kingdome of God now is That was the last Point in my Second Question and methinks I am more puzzled in it then ever Philoth. You are not so puzzled XV Where the Kingdome of God now is Philopolis but I believe you will easily extricate the difficulty your self and find out where God has by first finding out where he has not his Kingdome For I believe you will not say that the Kingdome of God is amongst the mere Pagans by reason of their Ignorance Atheisticalness and Idolatry Philop. No sure I did not so much as dream it was Philoth. Nor amongst the Iews For they were a City of murtherers and killed their Messias and so ceased to be God's people and as many as are not converted to Christianity justifie the act of their forefathers and become successively guilty of their bloudy and murtherous Crime Besides that they are professed Enemies and Rebells to the manifestly-declared Law of God which is the Christian Religion and therefore the Iewish Nation can be no part of the Kingdome of God according to the Definition of it above mentioned Philop. You say true Philotheus Philoth. Nor the Turk for the same reason I mean for his express enmity to Christianity the plainly-declared Law of God besides the tearing Cruelty and Savageness of that Polity For the Kingdome of God must be devoid as well of bloudy Persecution and Barbarity as of Idolatry and Polytheism And what an ill Character the Turks and Saracens have in the Prophetick Visions is plain in that the latter are figured out by Scorpion-like Locusts out of the bottomless pit Apoc. 9.10 11. the title of whose King is Abaddon or Apollyon the other by Horsemen ver 17 19. whose horses heads are compared to Lions and their tails to Serpents to intimate that league they have with the Kingdome of the Serpent or of the Devil for the Devil was a murtherer from the beginning and these Wasters of the world by war and bloudshed Philop. This is more then enough evident Philoth. And for the Popish Church it is well known how besides their multifarious Idolatries and gross Superstitious practices it is all-over besmeared with innocent bloud as she also is figured out in the Apocalypse by that gorgeous Whore with whom the Kings of the earth commit Fornication Chap. 17.2 6. and who is drunk with the bloud of the Saints and with the bloud of the Martyrs of Iesus Philop. It remains then that the Reformed parts of Christendome be the Kingdome of God for none else occurr to my mind that can lay claim to the title Philoth. And there is good reason to conclude so both because the Definition of the Externall Kingdome of God above given agrees to them namely that they worship the One and onely-true God and have purified his Worship from all Idolatrous practices and corruptions and have so far ceased to be that murtherous City that stoned the Prophets that they use no other sword then that of the Spirit against Idolaters themselves whom they never kill but either in the open field in battel or upon the account of Treason against their lawfull Prince and also because God be thanked they are free from any yoke but that of Christ and their own Reformed Princes And therefore being a self-sufficient Power able to maintain themselves against all extraneous and Idolatrous Powers these of them that are in this condition seem to me to be an hopefull Inchoation of that promised Kingdome of the Son of man which Daniel foretells of and to be the first Rudiments of the Fifth Monarchy forasmuch as they arise out of the ruine of the little Horn with the eyes of a Dan. 7.25 man which is said to wear out the Saints of the most High Philop. I understand you very well Philotheus O the admirable perspicuity and convictiveness of Truth O how necessary is the knowledge of this Theory to all the Protestant Dominions that they may know how to be both good Christians and good Subjects at once For no man can oppose undermine or be false to the Protestant Interest as such or to any Reformed Prince but he must ipso facto commit Treason against the Kingdome of God and be a Traitour or Rebell against the Sovereignty of the Lord Iesus O how infinitely satisfied am I with this Truth O how I could dwell upon this so-concerning a speculation O how am I eased in mind and freed from all distraction while my Soul is stedfastly determined to one that I know what to wish for what to pray for what to act for what to suffer for I mean for the interest of the Kingdome of God and the reviving Monarchy of the Lord Iesus Christ. Cuph. XVI That smaller faults in Things or Persons hinder not but that a Church may still be the Kingdome of God This Truth if it be a truth is like a spark fallen into very combustible matter that it has set Philopolis thus all on a flame It 's pitty but what you say should be true Philotheus that Philopolis his sincere and ingenuous zeal may not have hit on an undue subject But for my part I cannot but be something hesitant at least in the point if not quite incredulous For the Manners the Opinions and the manner of the Rise of Reformed Christendome are such as in my judgment ill sute with so glorious a Title Hyl. What it seems then that Mr. Advocate General of the Paynim will now act the part of an Accuser of the brethren This it is to be of such an universalized spirit as to be ready and fit for all turns Cuph. I shall aecuse them Hylobares whom I desire to be found clear and before such Judges as I hope will not be unfavourable Philoth. For my part Cuphophron I cannot say that either all Things or all persons of the Reformation are without fault But the sinfulness of some yea though it were of many does not exclude the whole from being the Externall Kingdome of God And that is the point that we are upon For the Externall Kingdome of God may be presumed much larger then the Internall And our Saviour Christ himself you know compares the Kingdome of God in this externall sense to a Net cast into the Sea Matt. 13.47 which gathers of every kind as well bad as good The people of Israel was the Kingdome of God but was every particular man of them holy and vertuous The Roman
for the inferring the above-mentioned Opinion And what hurt is it O Cuphophron that God is conceived effectually to predestinate some men to Grace and Glory and so is proclaimed to be more good and gracious then the Arminians themselves would have him who put it to an adventure whether any man shall be saved or no Cuph. There were no great hurt in this I confess Bathynous but Reprobation or Predestination to eternall death that is the great reproch to the Reformed Religion Bath Though some private men are very express in that Point yet the publick Confessions of the Protestants are more modest and tender in that Article and onely are for a Preterition of persons no designment of them to sin and damnation which I promise you Cuphophron he that with an impartial eye looks upon the Phaenomena of Providence can hardly deny to be found verified in the effect Besides what the Scriptures themselves intimate Psal. 58.3 The wicked are estranged from the womb they go astray so soon as they be born These are great and profound Secrets and such as very good men may easily lose themselves in and therefore Mistakes in such Points may well be competible even to the members of the true Kingdome of God And that they took away Free-will so universally Divine Providence might permit them to slip into that Errour making use thereof as of another crooked Engine against the frauds and falsenesses of that crooked Serpent of Rome I mean the Pope and his Hierarchy For they being for Free-will and Good works more out of a design of merchandizing and inriching the Church with large Incomes of money for Pardons and Indulgences for Deliverances out of Purgatory for certain Sales and Contracts for Heaven and ensured shares and portions of the Elysian fields the founding Salvation upon God's eternall Decree and the declaring that we have no power of our selves to doe any thing for the obtaining eternall life this quite spoil'd the market of these crafty Merchants and over-turned the tables of these Money-changers For the way to Salvation was now discovered not to be those manifold formal postures which the Roman Tutours put their Novices into nor hard Penances nor commutation of Penances the main scope of the Discipline of that Church into pecuniary Mulcts for the amassing and heaping together an immense treasure of money but every one was admonished with sad and solemn preparation to frequent the Divine Ordinance the powerful preaching of the Gospel to be instructed in the stupendious Arcana of God's free Election and eternall Decrees and not to reckon upon the Certainty of Salvation from obedience to the devised Institutes of the Church which drove mainly at the dominion of the Priest and the sucking of the purses of the people but to make their Calling and Election sure that is to say to discover the certainty thereof by the inward fruits of the Spirit by Faith especially whereby they firmly believed that they were of the number of God's Elect and from thence by Love also to God and to their neighbour all which they conceived wrought in them not for any thing that they could doe or had done by way of Merit but merely by the free Spirit of Grace effectually operating in their hearts And I pray you Cuphophron how much did this state of things misbecome the Kingdome of God especially considering that whatever the Errour was it was in a Point so intricate as has puzzled the greatest wits of all Ages and was so seasonable that it tended highly to the overthrow of the Kingdome of Antichrist and was so harmless to the believers of it that while they disclaimed all Free-will or ability of doing any thing themselves yet were they seen carried on in all holy Duties of Devotion and Sobriety of life while the other Party that boasted so of their Free-will might be observed wallowing in all Worldliness and Sensuality and with their Free-will freely and merrily descending down together into the pit of Destruction Cuph. I think there is a kinde of Magick or Witchcraft in conversing with melancholick men Bathynous his speech has so fettered and confounded my spirit that I am half asham'd of this Allegation which I thought at first so dismall and formidable Reformed Christendome will be the Kingdome of God I think whether I will or no. Philop. I hope so Cuphophron Cuph. But are no other Christian Churches besides the Reformation the Kingdome of God Philop. Whether there be or there be not other Christian Churches that are part of God's Kingdome it nothing infringes the truth of the Reformation's being so But from the intimations of Philotheus I dare pronounce that no Christian Church that is in bondage under another Sovereignty or does not emerge into power upon the destruction or humbling of the little Horn that is the Papal Hierarchy can be that Kingdome Daniel points at or the Inchoation of the Fifth Monarchy Cuph. XIX The Charge of that horrid sin of Rebellion Of this I am not so solicitous O Philopolis but I anxiously desire an answer to the last Objection I intended touching the Rise of this pretended Kingdome of God For the adverse Party confidently give out that its first Birth was from Rebellion which is worse then the sin of Witchcraft Sophr. It is an ill Omen against your Objection O Cuphophron that your Scripture-quotation is so ridiculously impertinent For in Samuel where it is said that Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft 1 Sam. 15.23 it is spoken of the Rebellion of Saul against the Lord not of the people against Saul Cuph. But I mean the Rebellion of the people against Saul or the Secular Magistrate which is next to Rebellion against God whose Vicegerent he is Sophr. That assertion is very true Cuphophron but the Imputation of our Adversaries extremely false Bath Most assuredly O Sophron And that Character amongst the rest that belong to them which styles them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Liars I conceive is not to be restrain'd to their Legends and such like Forgeries but is to take in also their abominable Calumnies against the true Church of God For they are a generation of Vipers that make up the Resemblance of the old Serpent under Paganism in every stroke thereof And the Dragon was cast out Rev. 12.9 10. that old Serpent called the Devil and Satan which deceiveth the whole world And I heard a loud voice saying in Heaven Now is come Salvation and strength and the Kingdome of our God and the Power of his Christ for the Accuser of our brethren is cast down which accused them before our God day and night Wherein the impudence of religious Liars is set out as spreading Lies and Calumnies even before the face of Heaven and the presence of God And it is a note that our Saviour also of old has set upon Satan John 8.44 that the Devil is a Liar and the father of all Lies and Calumnies Euist. And that
that part especially of his Opposers at this time that were Pagans or Infidels and did not believe the Apostolical Doctrine of Christ. So that taking the whole Conflux of men or entire Aggregate of the two opposite Armies before the Fight and dividing them they naturally fall into this Tripartition The true Christian and Apostolicall Party the Infidel Party distinct from the Beast and false Prophet and the Party Antichristian Philop. What then is meant by the Infidel Party's being slain and whoever else fell with them by the sword that came out of the mouth of the Rider of the white Horse Philoth. Assuredly Philopolis their Conviction and Conversion to the true Christian Faith For the Word of God can slay them no otherwise then so Philop. I but it is added And all the Fowls were filled with their flesh Philoth. Luk. 15.7 10. I tell you Philopolis the Angels of Heaven feast and make merry more upon the Conversion of one sinner then on ninety nine just persons that want no Repentance But I told you before that these phrases are onely Parabolicall and every passage of a Parable is not necessarily drawn into a particular Signification It may signifie onely in the general a very great Slaughter argued in a Parabolicall way from the consequences thereof Philop. I am pretty well persuaded that this may be the main meaning of this Vision of the Rider of the white Horse what-ever else there may be in it beside Philoth. Let us therefore now proceed to what is parallel thereto namely the seventh Vial which has seemed to me as obscure as any thing I have met with in all the Apocalypse But in the general I dare pronounce that the sense is more spiritual then is ordinarily conceived both because it is parallel to the Vision of the Rider of the white Horse and also from that Intimation Apoc. 16.15 Behold I come as a thief Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his Garments lest he walk naked and men see his shame This is the time that God will pluck off the Covering from off all Nations Isa. 25.7 and the veil of Hypocrisie from off the people as Isay foretelleth and he that keeps not to the right cloathing will be found most deformedly naked This therefore is not like a premonition against the day of a bloudy Battel where the bloud rises up to the Horse saddles for the space of a thousand six hundred furlongs together In so great a slaughter literally understood men are more solicitous of their lives then their cloaths and more afraid of being killed then of being exposed to some outward shame Philop. What may then be the meaning of that passage Philotheus Philoth. A timely forewarning to seek after Truth and Righteousness and to understand the Mysteries of the Gospel so well as when this day comes I mean the effusion of the last Vial we be not discovered to be such silly Sots and Bigotts as out of an ignorant and superstitious Conscience to take part of the Plagues and Distresses the Beast and the false Prophet will then be plunged into but through sound Knowledge and a purified minde timely to be adjoyned to the true Church the Body of Christ. For in that day a man shall be look'd upon as hugely naked and bare of all wit and common honesty that has so little of either as not to relinquish the Idolatrous and Imposturous Church of Rome and entirely betake himself to the Apostolicall party He will be a reproch and laughing-stock to all and will be able by no means to hide his shame he discovering himself to be so wholly destitute of the sense of Truth and Righteousness Philop. Methinks you have very peculiar apprehensions of things Philotheus that come into your minde which makes your converse more delightfull But give me leave now to ask your opinion touching other it may be more difficult passages As that of the Frogs going out of the mouth of the Dragon the Beast and the false Prophet which are said to be the spirits of Devils and that they work Miracles Philoth. These are the Emissaries Oratours Negotiatours or Solicitours of the Affairs of the Dragon Beast and false Prophet though they are called the Spirits of Devils according to the usual Genius and style of the Apocalypse putting Angels and Spirits for that company of men that may be conceived to be under their guidance But they have the shape of Frogs to betoken their Earthliness and Uncleanness and that the spirit and wisedome they act from is earthly Jam. 3.15 sensual and devillish contrary to that wisedom which is from above which is said first to be pure then peaceable but these Frogs call forth the Kings of the Earth and the whole World to battel even to fight against God and his Christ. But those ungodly Forces by the overpowering guidance of God Almighty pitch battel in such a place as is unfortunate to them from the very name For Armageddon signifies the Destruction of their Armies Nor can I omit how significant this Iconism of Frogs is to set off that power in them of working false Miracles to deceive the people according to the sense of the ancient Onirocriticks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See Synops. Prophet lib. 1. c. 6. sect 17. Amongst which Impostures may be reckoned the falling into Trances Quakings Possessions by irresistible Powers pretended Inspirations and what else soever that carries from the Apostolicall Faith as well as those old Cheats and Juggles or lying Miracles of ancient Paganism or of modern Antichristianism properly so called But here again Philopolis I would have you above all things take notice that there is a Tripartition in this Conflux of people also For here is God Almighty and his Christ on one side with their Apostolicall Legions and then on the other side there is first the Dragon with his Pagan or Infidel Forces all such as believe not the plain and Apostolicall truth of the Gospel such as is comprised for example in the Apostles Creed and lastly there are the Antichristian forces properly so called such as appertain to the Beast and false Prophet So that this Tripartition is exquisitely answerable to that in the Battel of the Rider of the white Horse Philop. Well Philotheus what then Philoth. All these meet in a place which in the Hebrew tongue is called Armageddon Philop. They do so Philotheus But what is the meaning of the pouring of this last Vial into the Air to doe vengeance on the Legions of the ungodly Philoth. In the externall Cortex of the Prophecy it comports onely with the other Vials being poured out upon the Earth the Sun and the Sea as if God would stir up universal Nature in a rage against his enemies as I told you before But in the more inward and mysticall meaning it is onely an Introduction to these following Symbols of Voices and Thunderings and Lightnings c. Philop. What is the Mysticall
and the God of Israel will be your Rereward And Man you know has the Sovereignty of all that move on the Earth as the Eagle of all that flie in the Air. Philop. But he is Sovereign over the Fowls of the Air too Philotheus Philoth. He is so and is the symbol of Righteousness and Peace And that is the very nature of the true Man and the highest perfection in him and the Charter whereby he rules over all 1 Joh. 4.20 He that says he loves God and hates his brother he is a Liar Philop. I partly understand you Philotheus But have you not forgot to descant on the feet of the Cherubims as well as on their faces Philoth. You say well Philopolis I will give you my observation of that also though I have already touched upon more things then I intended Their feet are said to be like Oxe-feet Ezek. 1.7 and to sparkle like the colour of burnish'd brass In that they are said to resemble burnish'd brass it denotes the steddy strength and purity of the Angelicall Affections which the Pythagoreans also compare to Feet But in that they are said to be Oxe-feet it signifies they neither affect nor travel for that which is useless and unprofitable Isa. 55.2 They do not labour for that which satisfieth not nor expend their pains for that which is not bread Though each Cherub be said to have the face of an Eagle yet none have any other feet but those of an Oxe Which insinuates that the most speculative Angels spend not their time in fruitless Subtilties though never so high nor soar up into unedifying Contemplations Hyl. All this methinks goes off naturally enough Philotheus onely that of the Oxe resembling that part of the Polity that comprehends Agriculture and what other offices that require the labour of the hand how this can belong to the Angelicall World unless as they are Presidentiary Powers over such in this Terrestrial Region I know not Wherefore I thought of this conceit while you was discoursing that these four faces of an Eagle a Man a Lion and Oxe may signifie the four Cardinal Vertues Prudence Iustice Fortitude Temperance Philoth. And it was not thought of much amiss Hylobares I 'll assure you this is an early specimen of your towardliness in these kinde of Contemplations Onely you should have put Sapience for Prudence the latter being so proper to Man and such a concomitant to Iustice and Practice of Life that they as one and the same thing may be both emblematized by the Man But Sapience which is the searcher of the highest or deepest causes of all Justice both to God and Man Lib. 2. de Legibus which Cicero rightly derives from the Divine Intellect is more fitly set out by the Eagle who is so strong-sighted as to be able to look upon the Sun to which Philo resembles the eternall Mind of God the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. Jud. lib. de Somniis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he calls him Wherefore the highest or ultimate judgement of the truth of things is rightly represented by the Eagle as being able to give sentence from that eternall Law of Divine Reason Sophr. It never came into my head before now why the Standard of Dan bore the Figure of an Eagle Bath Because Dan signifies Judgement But I was thinking of something else that favours Hylobares his conjecture namely of that Degree of the Cardinal Vertues which Plotinus calls Paradigmaticall which makes the Soul of man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say in the condition of a pure Angel Theosophists also declare that the four Rivers of Paradise signifie the four Cardinal Vertues even in the Intellectual or Angelicall world Which things have not onely Authority but reason on their side but that it would be too long to unfold it So that so far as I see Philotheus and Hylobares conjectures touching the meaning of this quadriform aspect of the Cherubims may both stand together and clash no more then an Abstract and Concrete which make but one Subject Philop. I think so too But indeed I did not hope there could have been drawn out so many profitable Lessons out of this dark Vision of Ezekiel But you have yet said nothing Philotheus of him that rides in this Cherubick Chariot who has the shape of a Man Ezek. 1.26 27. and the colour of Amber with circumfulgent fire Philoth. That is the Heavenly Humanity of the Son of God His very Title is writ in the Amber I mean in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if you reade it Cabbalistically And yet he is said to be the God of Israel Ezek. 10.20 and the surrounding Rainbow emblematizes him the God of the whole Universe But enquire no farther of these things I shall proceed to what follows Philop. I beseech you do Philotheus Philoth. Now this Type of the state of Perfection in the Church the time of Moses being not capable of the truth thereof yet God thought fit to draw down the Shadow of it to beautifie the Religion of the Israelites So that the Heavenly Type seen onely by Prophets and holy men of God was also impressed upon Earth and made visible amongst the people of the Iews who bore this Figure among them For they both had material Cherubims in the Dabir on which the Eternal Word was conceived to fit and give Oracles Exod. 25.18 22. as he that sate on this Chariot in Ezekiel is said to speak from among living Cherubims the Prophet saw Ezek. 10.1 2. and besides which is an admirable correspondency of things the Throne in the midst of the four Cherubims in that Chariot answers very plainly to the Tabernacle in the midst of the four Camps of Israel Numb 1.52 and 2.2 under the Standard of Reuben toward the South under the Standard of Iudah toward the East under the Standard of Ephraim toward the West and under the Standard of Dan toward the North the Ensigns also of each Camp according to the tradition of the Rabbins answering to the posture of the faces of these four Cherubims the Ensign of Reuben being a Man XI An Exposition of the Vision of the Throne of God in Heaven the four Beasts and twenty four Elders seen by S. John the Ensign of Iudah a Lion the Ensign of Ephraim an Oxe and the Ensign of Dan an Eagle Philop. The Correspondence indeed is very admirable Philoth. Thus did the people of God in those days bear the Heavenly Type in an earthly and carnal manner They did also receive the Law with the appearance of fire and lightening as this Cherub-Chariot is also described But their Dispensation was not that fiery Law of the Spirit which our Saviour at his coming introduced who is said to baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire He began therefore this true Cherubicall or Angelicall Dispensation amongst his Apostles and Disciples and it continued in some measure for
the Spirit This is surely the Vnity of the Spirit which all good Christians are exhorted to But how shall we attain to it Philotheus Philoth. This I conceive would confer much thereto if all Opinions and Practices in Religion that either hinder or do not promote the Life of God in the world were universally undervalued by the Church of God For in this Life of God is his Spirit And by this means all opportunity and pretense of any one's shewing himself to be religious but wherein true Religion doth consist being quite cut off men that would be thought at all religious must endeavour the imitation of that Life we speak of to approve themselves such Which they will do very lamely without the presence of the Spirit And all occasions of squabbling and contention about the Shadows and Coverings of Opinions and Forms being thus removed and taken out of the way it will be far easier to perform what the Apostle exhorts to Ephes. 4.3 namely To keep the Vnity of the Spirit in the bond of peace For no man then shall be able to bustle with any credit unless it be in the behalf of what tends to the good of the people of God and of all mankinde But of those externall Coverings hear what the Prophet Isay denounceth Wo to the rebellious children Isa. 30.1 saith the Lord that take counsell but not of me and that cover with a Covering but not of my Spirit that they may add sin to sin This is the false Covering of Opinions and Formalities heaped together by the Ignorance or Hypocrisie of men whereby they would hide themselves as Adam from the eyes of their Maker But God has foretold that those of Mount Sion the Souldiers of the Lamb Isa. 25.7 shall destroy the face of the Covering cast over all people and the Veil that is spread over all Nations And then they must either be cloathed with the Covering of the Spirit Apoc. 16.15 or be found stark naked to their open shame as they are forewarned in the last Vial. Thus should we approch nearer to that Type of the best state of the Church figured out in the form of the Cherubims or the four Beasts where the Eagle is conceived to have the foot of an Oxe Isa. 55.2 none of them labour for that which is not bread Wherefore the number of Formalities and Opinions being lessened according to their uselesness and consequently being but few and profitable all the Church will easily understand their importance and truth As all the four Beasts are said to be full of eyes in opposition to that blinde Obedience cried up in the Roman Church and so throughly discerning the same Object and therewithall passing the same judgement upon it are also carried with one joint motion and affection For even their wings are full of eyes as denoting they move not out of any blinde Principle but from a Principle of certain Knowledge Which therefore Philopolis I would in opposition to the Church of Rome who cry up Ignorance as the mother of Devotion make the Seventh Document of holy Policy The Seventh Principle viz. To instruct the People throughly and convincingly of all the Fundamental mysteries of Truth and Interest appertaining to the Kingdome of God They that obtrude Falshood for their own advantage upon the People it is their Interest to keep them in Ignorance But they that are the Assertours of the Truth it is their Interest to have it as fully and fundamentally understood as may be and made clear out of Reason or Scripture And I conceive all Truth that is needfull to Life and Godliness may be in such manner cleared to the unprejudiced Whence it will be a very hard tug to seduce any from the Church to Romanism Infidelity or Atheism Philop. XXXI How the mind of man may arrive to a state of Unprejudicateness I am clearly of your minde Philotheus but all the difficulty is to get to that state of Vnprejudicateness Philoth. If the Son make you free then are you free indeed Sophr. That is not spoken Philotheus of freedome from Prejudice but of freedome from Sin so far as humane Nature can be free * John 8.34 35. Whosoever committeth sin saith our Saviour is the servant of sin And the servant abideth not in the house for ever but the Son abideth ever Then follows Ver. 36. If the Son therefore make you free then are you free indeed Philoth. And a little before he saith If ye continue in my word Ver. 31 32. then are ye my Disciples indeed that is to say If ye keep my Commandments And ye shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make you free Whereupon the Iews expostulate with our Saviour We be Abraham's seed Ver. 33. say they and were never in bondage to any how saiest thou then Ye shall be made free Whereupon in that passage O Sophron which you cited he charges them with being servants to sin implying that that was the Prejudice and impediment to their attaining to the Truth in that they lived in sin So that freedome from sin I think in our Saviour's own judgement does infer also freedome from Prejudice that hinders the knowledge of the Truth Wherefore O Philopolis in the Eighth and last place for I will not discourse so now as if I despaired of ever having the opportunity of conferring with you again I shall propose this one Document more not onely very serviceable for the Unity of the Church but the most effectual I know and the most necessary for the bringing on those excellent Times your desire is so carried after Philop. I long to hear it Philotheus Philoth. It is Faith in the Power of God and the Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ The Eighth and last Principle which he has promised to all Believers that by this assistence we may get the conquest over all our Sins and Corruptions and perfect Holiness in the fear of God This Doctrine That we are not onely obliged to an higher pitch of Morality then either Paganism or Judaism did pretend to or could boast of but also that through the Spirit of Christ inhabiting in us we are able to be reduced to that Rectitude of Life and Spirit which our Saviour sets out in his Sermon upon the Mount and elsewhere in his Discourses in the Gospels It is this Doctrine I say that must renew the world in righteousness and bring on those glorious Times that so many good men believe and desire This Philopolis is a necessary preparation thereto For what Doctrine but this can reach the Hypocrisie of mens hearts who under colour of not being able to be rid of all their Sins will set themselves against none or but the least considerable or will be sure to spare their darling-sins and perpetually decline that Self-resignation which is indispensably required of every true Christian Nay they will quit none of them under pretence we must
most delicious and Seraphick Lives that I could ever imagine any to doe upon this Earth The Prelibation of those future Joys and Glories that you in a manner make present to you by so firm a Faith and clear Prospect of things is an Anticipation of the Happiness of Heaven at least of that Heaven that is to be upon Earth when the new Ierusalem shall descend from above I am so infinitely transported with your excellent Converse that I am almost out of conceit with my own condition of Life and could wish I had never been engaged in the care of a Wife and a Family or any other Secular Occasions that I might joyn my self for ever to your blessed Society Of such unspeakable pleasure has this five days entertainment been to my minde Philoth. God forbid Philopolis that the Sweet of Contemplation should ever put your mouth out of tast with the savoury Usefulness of Secular Negotiations To doe good to men to assist the injured to relieve the necessitous to advise the ignorant in his necessary affairs to bring up a Family in the fear of God and a chearful hope of everlasting Happiness after this Life does as much transcend our manner of living if it ended in a mere pleasing our selves in the delicacy of select Notions as solid Goodness does empty Phantastry or sincere Charity the most childish Sophistry that is The exercise of Love and Goodness of Humanity and Brotherly-kindness of Prudence and Discretion of Faithfulness and Neighbourliness of unfeigned Devotion and Religion in the plain and undoubted Duties thereof is to the truly regenerate Soul a far greater pleasure then all the fine Speculations imaginable Philop. You 'll pardon this sudden surprise Philotheus for your wholesome Instruction has reduced me again to the right sense of things I am fully convinced that all Speculation is vain that tends not to the Duty of Practice nor inables a man the better to perform what he owes to God to his Prince and Countrey to his Family Neighbours and Friends Which is the onely consideration that makes my parting with this excellent Society any thing tolerable to me at this time being so fully instructed by you that I am not to live to please my self but to be serviceable to others And therefore I shall endeavour not so to leave you as not to carry away the better part of you along with me Cuph. XLIII His Complement to Cuphophron and his Friends with Cuphophron 's return thereof upon Philopolis You mean Euistor and Hylobares do you not Philopolis Philop. I mean not Persons but Things the endearing memorie of the sincere Zeal and sound Knowledge of Philotheus the free and profound Judgement of Bathynous the Prudence and Sobriety of Sophron and the Gaiety of Temper and singular Urbanity of my noble friend Cuphophron to whom I return many thanks for his repeated favours and civilities since my arrival hither as I do to Philotheus also and the rest of this excellent Companie for their great Obligations and shall impatiently expect an opportunity of making some requitall In the mean time I leave my thanks with you all and bid you farewell Cuph. Not the Memory O Philopolis but the Reality of all those Accomplishments you reckon up of right you carry away with you because you brought them along with you hither Nor will we take leave of so accomplished a person till needs must We will wait upon you to morrow morning to see you take horse and then wish you a good Journey In the mean time we onely bid you Good-night Philop. That will be too great a favour Philoth. That 's a Civility very well mentioned Cuphophron We will at least doe that if not carry them part on their way Hyl. And I will defer my manifold Acknowledgements to Philotheus till then THE END A brief DISCOURSE Of the true Grounds of The Certainty of FAITH IN Points of Religion FAith and Belief though they be usually appropriated to matters of Religion yet those words in themselves signifie nothing else but a Persuasion touching the Truth of a thing arising from some Ground or other Which Persuasion may be undoubted or certain to us that is to say We may be certainly persuaded without any staggering though the Grounds be false and the Thing it self false that we are thus firmly persuaded of So that the being firmly persuaded is no sure sign to others nor ought to be to ourselves that either the Grounds or the Belief it self is true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may very well arise from an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Peculiarity of Complexion or the Besottedness of Education may be so prevalent as very forcibly to urge Falshood upon our belief as well in things Natural as Religious either upon very weak and false Grounds or no other Grounds at all but that of Complexion and Education Passion or Interest or the like But the true Grounds of the Certainty of Faith are such as do not onely beget a certain and firm Faith but a true one and this in virtue of their own Truth and Solidity as being such as will appear true and solid to all impartial and unprejudiced Examiners that is to say to all such as neither Complexion nor Education nor Passion nor Interest does pervert their Judgement but have their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 clear as the Eye to discriminate Colours Whence it is plain that the first and most necessarie Preparation to the Discovery of the true Grounds of the Certainty of Faith is Moral Prudence in such a sense as the nature of it is described in a late Moral Discourse entitled Enchiridion Ethicum lib. 2. cap. 2. This ought to be antecedaneous to our judgement touching either Autority or Reason But for a man of a polluted spirit to take upon him to dissent from the Constitutions of the Church he is born under is a very rash and insolent Attempt As if God were more bound to assist a single Wicked man for the finding out of Truth then a multitude or as if a man could more safely or more creditably err alone then with a company that has the stamp of Autority upon them But if thy endeavour be to perfect Holiness in the fear of God and to walk in all Humility before him and before men thou mayest by such rational Grounds as these examine the Fidelity of thy Teachers and the truth of their Doctrines of Religion First then It is plain that Certainty of Faith presupposeth Certainty of both Reason and Sense rightly circumstantiated For forasmuch as Faith properly so called is nothing but an unwavering Assent to some Doctrine proposed upon the ground of infallible Testimonie there must be some Reason to persuade us that that Testimony is infallible that is to say that they that testifie are neither obnoxious to Errour in the things they witness of nor have a mind to make others to erre or
particular or universal as infallibly inspired that is deprehended to be actually deceived in any Points she proposes to be believed as necessary Articles of Faith This is so plain that it wants no farther proof The sixteenth That the Moral and Humane Certainty of Faith is grounded upon the Certainty of Vniversal Tradition Prophecy History and the Nature of the things delivered Reason and Sense assisting the Minde in her Disquisitions touching these matters That Certainty of Faith I call Moral or Humane that is competible even to a carnal man or a man unregenerate as it is said of the Devils that they believe and tremble By Vniversal Tradition I understand such a Tradition as has been from the Apostles that is to say has been always since the completion of their Apostleships as well as in every place of the Church For since there was to be so general and so early a Degeneracy of the Church as is witnessed of in the Holy Scriptures the generality of the Votes of the Church was not alwaies a sufficient warrant of the truth of Tradition But those Truths that have been constantly held and unalterably from the Apostles times til now it is a sign that they were very Sacred unquestionable and assured Truths and so vulgarly and universally known and acknowledged that it was not in man's power to alter them By Prophecy I understand as well those Divine Predictions of the coming of Christ as those touching the Church after he had come By History I mean not onely that of the Bible and particularly the New Testament but other History as well Ecclesiastick as Prophane And what I mean by the Nature of the things delivered is best to be understood out of such Treatises as write of the Reasonableness of Christianity such as Dr. Hammond's and Mr. Baxter's late Book See also Dr. More 's Mystery of Godliness where the Reasonableness of our Christian Faith is more fully represented and plainly demonstrated * Book 7. chap. 9 10 11. that it has not been in the power of the Church to deceive us as touching the main Points of our Belief though they would The seventeenth That no Tradition is more universal and certain then the Tradition of the Authentickness of such Books of the Bible as all Churches are agreed upon to be Canonicall There can be no more certain nor universal Tradition then this in that it has the Testimony of the whole Church and all the parts thereof with one Consent though in other things they do so vehemently disagree Wherefore no Tradition can be of any comparable Autority to this And therefore we may set down for Conclusion The eighteenth That the Bible is the truest Ground of the Certainty of Faith that can be offered to our Understanding to rest in The Reason is because it is the most universal both for time and place the most unexceptionable and universally-acknowledged Tradition that is The nineteenth That the Bible or Holy Writ dictated by the Spirit of God that is written by Holy and Inspired men is sufficiently plain to an unprejudiced Capacity in all Points necessary to Salvation This must of necessity be true by Conclusion the seventh Otherwise the manner of Gods's revealing his Truth in the Holy Scriptures would be repugnant to the Divine Attributes and which were Blasphemy to utter he would seem unskilfully to have inspired the Holy Pen-men that is to say in such a way as were not at all accommodate to the end of the Scriptures which is the Salvation of mens Souls nor to have provided for the Recovering of the Church out of those gross Errours he both foresaw and foretold she would fall into The twentieth That the true and primarie Sense of Holy Scripture is Literal or Historicall unless in such Parts or Passages thereof as are intimated to be Parables or Visions writ in the Prophetick style or the literal Meaning be repugnant to rightly-circumstantiated Sense or natural Science c. For then it is a sign that the Place is to be understood Figuratively or Parabolically not Literally The truth of this appears out of the immediately-foregoing Conclusion For else the Scripture would not be sufficiently plain in all Points necessary to Salvation Indeed in no Points at all but all the Articles of our Faith that respect the History of Christ might be most frivolously and whifflingly allegorized into a mere Romance or Fable But that the History of Christ is literally to be understood is manifest both from the Text it self and from perpetuall and universal Tradition Which if it were not the right Sense it were a sign that it is writ exceedingly obscure even in the chief Points which is contrary to the foregoing Conclusion But that those Places or Passages that are repugnant to rightly-circumstantiated Sense or natural Science are to be interpreted figuratively is plain from the general Consent of all men in that they universally agree when Christ says I am the Door I am the true Vine c. That these things cannot be literally true And there is the same reason of Hoc est Corpus meum This is my Body The twenty first That no Point of Faith professed from the Apostles time to this very day and acknowledged by all Churches in Christendome but is plainly revealed in the Scripture This may be partly argued out of the nineteenth and twentieth Conclusions and also farther proved by comparing these Points of Faith with Texts of Scripture touching the same matter The twenty second That the Comprehension of these Points of Faith always and every-where held by all Christian Churches from the Apostles time till now and so plain by Testimony of Scripture is most rightfully termed the Common or Catholick and Apostolick Faith The twenty third That there is a Divine Certainty of Faith which besides the Grounds that the Moral or Humane Certainty hath is supported and corroborated by the Spirit of Life in the new Birth and by illuminated Reason This is not to be argued but to be felt In the mean time no more is asserted then this That this Divine Certainty has an higher Degree of Firmness and Assurance of the truth of the Holy Scriptures as having partaken of the same Spirit with our Saviour and the Apostles but does not vary in the Truths held in the common Faith The twenty fourth What-ever pretended Inspiration or Interpretation of the Divine Oracles is repugnant to the above-described Common or Catholick and Apostolick Faith is Imposture or Falshood be it from a private hand or publick The Reason is apparent because the Articles of this Common Faith were the Doctrines of men truely inspired from above and the Spirit of God cannot contradict it self The twenty fifth None of the Holy Writ is of it self unintelligible but accordingly as mens spirits shall be prepared and the time sutable as God has already so he may as Seasons shall require still impart farther and farther Light to the Souls of the Faithfull
the truest Grounds of the Certainty of Faith This is the common Protestant Doctrine and a great and undeniable Truth and will amount to the greatest Certainty desirable if the Spirit of Life and of God assist For that will seal all firm and close and shut out all Doubts and Waverings In the mean time even in mere Moral men but yet such as use their Sense and Reason rightly-circumstantiated in their Dijudications touching the truth of Holy Writ and Religion it is plain they are upon the truest Grounds of Faith they can goe or apply themselves to forasmuch as the Holy Writ is the truest and most certain Tradition and no Tradition to be discerned true but upon the Certainty of rightly-circumstantiated Sense and Reason as appears by the first Conclusion These Advertisements though something numerous are yet brief enough but very effectual I hope if strictly followed to make thee so wise as neither to impose upon thy self nor be imposed upon by others in matters of Religion and so Orthodox as to become neither Enthusiast nor Romanist but a true Catholick and Primitive Apostolick Christian THE END DIVINE HYMNS DIVINE HYMNS An HYMN Upon the Nativity of CHRIST THe Holy Son of God most High The Historicall Narration For love of Adam's lapsed Race Quit the sweet Pleasures of the Sky To bring us to that happy Place His Robes of Light he laid aside Which did his Majesty adorn And the frail state of Mortals tri'de In Humane Flesh and Figure born Down from above this Day-Star slid Himself in living Earth t' entomb And all his Heav'nly Glory hid In a pure lowly Virgin 's Womb. Whole Quires of Angels loudly sing The Mystery of his Sacred Birth And the blest News to Shepherds bring Filling their watchfull Souls with Mirth The Application to the Emprovement of Life The Son of God thus Man became That Men the sons of God might be And by their second Birth regain A likeness to His Deity Lord give us humble and pure mindes And fill us with thy Heav'nly Love That Christ thus in our Hearts enshrin'd We all may be born from above And being thus Regenerate Into a Life and Sense Divine We all Ungodliness may hate And to thy living Word encline That nourish'd by that Heav'nly Food To manly Stature we may grow And stedfastly pursue what 's good That all our high Descent may know Grant we thy Seed may never yield Our Souls to soil with any Blot But still stand Conquerours in the field To shew his Power who us begot That after this our Warfare's done And travails of a toilsome Stage We may in Heav'n with Christ thy Son Enjoy our promis'd Heritage Amen An HYMN Upon the Passion of CHRIST THe faithfull Shepherd from on high The Historicall Narration Came down to seek his strayed Sheep Which in this Earthly Dale did lie Of Grief and Death the Region deep Those Glories and those Ioys above 'T was much to quit for Sinners sake But yet behold far greater Love Such pains and toils to undertake An abject Life which all despise The Lord of Glory underwent And with the Wicked's worldly guize His righteous Soul for grief was rent His Innocence Contempt attends His Wisedome and his Wonders great Envy on these her poison spends And Pharisaick Rage their Threats At last their Malice boil'd so high As Witnesses false to suborn The Lord of Life to cause to die His Body first with Scourges torn With royal Robes in scorn th' him dight And with a wreath of Thorns him crown A Scepter-Reed in farther spight They adde unto his Purple Gown Then scoffingly they bend the knee And spit upon his Sacred Face And after hang him on a Tree Betwixt two Thieves for more Disgrace With Nails they pierc'd his Hands and Feet The Bloud thence trickled to the ground The Pangs of Death his Countenance sweet And lovely Eyes with Night confound Thus laden with our weight of Sin This spotless Lamb himself bemoans And while for us he Life doth win Quits his own Breath with deep-fetch'd Groans Affrighted Nature shrinketh back To see so direfull dismall sight The Earth doth quake the Mountains crack Th' abashed Sun withdraws his Light The Application to the Emprovement of Life Then can we Men so senseless be As not to melt in flowing Tears Who cause were of his Agonie Who suffer'd thus to cease our Fears To reconcile us to our God By this his precious Sacrifice And shield us from his wrathfull Rod Wherewith he Sinners doth chastise O wicked Sin to be abhorr'd That God's own Son thus forc'd to die O Love profound to be ador'd That found so potent Remedie O Love more strong then Pain and Death To be repaid by nought but Love Whereby we vow our Life and Breath Entire to serve our God above For who for shame durst now complain Of dolorous dying unto Sin While he recounts the hideous Pain His Saviour felt our Souls to win Or who can harbour Anger fell Envy revengefull Spight or Hate If he but once consider well Our Saviour lov'd at such a rate Wherefore Lord since thy Son most just His natural Life for us did spill Grant we our sinful Lives and Lusts May sacrifice unto his Will That to our selves we being dead Henceforth to him may wholly live Who us to free from Dangers dread Himself a Sacrifice did give Grant that the sense of so great Love Our Souls to him may firmly tie And forcibly us all may move To live in mutuall Amity That no pretence to Hate or Strife May rise from any Injurie Since thy dear Son the Lord of Life For love of us when Foes did die An HYMN Upon the Resurrection of CHRIST The Historicall Narration WHo 's this we see from Edom come With bloudy robes from Bosrah Town He whom false Jews to death did doom And Heav'n's fierce Anger had cast down His righteous Soul alone was fain Isa. 63.3 The Wine-press of God's Wrath to tread And all his Garments to distain And sprinkled Cloaths to die bloud-red 'Gainst Hell and Death he stoutly fought Who Captive held him for three days But straight he his own Freedome wrought And from the dead himself did raise The brazen Gates of Death he brake Triumphing over Sin and Hell And made th' Infernall Kingdomes quake With all that in those Shades do dwell His murthered Body he resum'd Maugre the Grave's close grasp and strife And all these Regions thence perfum'd With the sweet hopes of lasting Life O mighty Son of God most High The Application to the Emprovement of Life That conqueredst thus Hell Death and Sin Give us a glorious Victory Over our deadly Sins to win Go on and * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. Iud. Flesh and bloud in the moral sense Edom still subdue And quite cut off his wicked Race And raise in us thine Image true Which sinfull * The old Adam Rom. 6.6 Edom doth
for a fuller and a more general understanding the obscurest Passages in the Divine Oracles The truth of this Assertion is so clear that it seems little better then Blasphemie to contradict it For to say the Holy Writ is in it self unintelligible is equivalent to the pronouncing it Non-sense or to averre that such and such Books or Passages of it were never to be understood by men is to insinuate as if the Wisedome of God did not onely play with the children of men but even fool with them This is but a Subterfuge of that conscious Church that is afraid of the fulgour of that Light that shines against her out of such places of Scripture as have for a long time seemed obscure The twenty sixth That there are innumerable Passages of Scripture as well Preceptive as Historicall that are as plainly to be understood as the very Articles of the common Faith and which therefore may be very usefull for the clearing those that may seem more obscure This wants no proof but Appeal to Experience and the twentieth Conclusion The twenty seventh That no Miracle though done by such as may seem of an unexceptionable Life and of more singular Sanctity can in reason ratifie any Doctrine or Practice that is repugnant to rightly-circumstantiated Sense or Natural Truths or Science or the common Christian Faith or any plain Doctrine or Assertion in Scripture The Truth of this is manifest from hence That no man can be so certain that such a man is not a crafty and cautious Hypocrite and his Miracle either a Juggle or Delusion of the Devil or if he was not an eye-witness of it a false report of a Miracle as he is certain of the truth of rightly-circumstantiated Sense of Common Notions and Natural Science of the Articles of the Apostolick Faith or of any plain Assertion in the Scripture And therefore that which is most certain in this case ought in all reason to be our Guide The twenty eighth That it is not onely the Right but the Duty of private men to converse with the Scriptures being once but precautioned not to presume to interpret any thing against rightly-circumstantiated Sense Natural Truth common Honesty the Analogie of the Catholick Faith or against other plain Testimonies of Holy Writ The truth of this appears from the Conclusion immediately preceding For why should they be kept from having recourse to so many and so profitable and powerful Instructions from an infallible Spirit when they are so well fore-armed against all Mistake and are so laid-at by so many not onely fallible but fallacious and deceitful persons to seduce them And why is there not more danger of being led into Errour by such as are not onely fallible but false and deceitfull then by those Inspired men that wrote the Scripture who were neither fallible in what they wrote nor had any design to deceive any man Wherefore there being no such safe Guide as the Scripture it self which speaks without any Passion Fraud or Interest it is not onely the Right but the Duty of every one to consult with the Scripture and observe his times of conversing with it as he tenders the Salvation of his own Soul The twenty ninth That even a private man assisted by the Spirit of Life in the new Birth and rightly-circumstantiated Reason being also sufficiently furnish'd with the knowledge of Tongues Historie and Antiquity and sound Philosophy may by the help of these and the Blessing of God upon his industry clear up some of the more obscure Places of Scripture to full satisfaction and certainty both to himself and any unprejudiced Peruser of his Interpretations That this Assertion is true may be proved by manifold Experience there having been sundry persons that have cleared such Places of Scripture as had for a time seemed obscure and intricate with abundant satisfaction and conviction But it is to be evinced also à priori viz. from the seventeenth and eighteenth Conclusions which avouch the Scripture to be the most Authentick Tradition that is as also from the twenty fifth that concludes it not unintelligible in it self nor to mankinde and lastly out of the first that asserts that Certainty of Faith presupposes Certainty of Reason For thus the Object of our Understanding being here certain and we not spending our labour upon a Fiction or Mockery and our Reason rightly-circumstantiated not blinded by Prejudice nor precipitated into Assent before due deliberation and clear comprehension of the matter if after so cautious a Disquisition she be fully satisfied she is certainly satisfied or else there is no certainty in rightly-circumstantiated Reason which yet is presupposed in the Certainty of Faith by the first Conclusion So that the Certainty of Faith it self seems ruinous if no private man have any Certainty of any Interpretation of Scripture that has once been reputed obscure Not to add that all the Scripture that has been once obscure and the Interpretation thereof not yet declared by the Church universal has been hitherto and will be God knows how long utterly useless Which is a very wilde Supposition and such as none would willingly admit unless those that would rather admit any thing then that Light of the Scripture that discovers who they are and what unworthy Impostures they use in their dealings with the children of men The thirtieth That no Tradition can be true that is repugnant to any plain Text of Scripture The Reason is because the Scripture is the most true and the most Authentick Tradition that is and such as the universal Church is agreed in The thirty first That if any one Point grounded upon the Autority of Tradition that has been held by the Church time out of minde prove false there is no Certainty that any Tradition is true unless such as it has not been in the power of the Church to forge corrupt deprave or else their Interest not at all concerned so to doe The Reason is because the Certainty of Tradition as Tradition is placed in this by those that contend so much for it that nothing can be brought into the Church as an Apostolick Practice or Doctrine but what ever was so from the Apostles Wherefore if once a Point be brought into the Church and profest and practised as Apostolicall that may be clearly proved not to be so this Ground for Tradition as Tradition is utterly ruined and considering the Falseness and Imposture that has been so long practised in Christendome can be held no Ground of Certainty at all As not Reason quà Reason nor Sense quà Sense but quatenus rightly-circumstantiated can be any Ground of Certainty of Knowledge so not Tradition quà Tradition can be the Ground of the Certainty of Faith but onely such a Tradition as it was not in the power of the degenerate Church to either forge or adulterate And such were the Records of the Holy Bible onely The thirty second That rightly-circumstantiated Sense and Reason and Holy Writ are